


Picturesque

by MistressPhantomhive



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: And he's really OOC, Angst, I make an attempt to follow the manga, M/M, Major Character Injury, MistressPhantomhive, Oikawa is a depressed photographer, Past, all of the angst, kageoi, oikage, present
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-06-10 16:02:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6963502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressPhantomhive/pseuds/MistressPhantomhive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"When I was young, my mother told me that a person was allowed to love one thing in their lifetime."</p><p>A Haikyuu!! fanfiction in which Oikawa Tooru fears the consequences of falling in love.</p><p><b>February 18, 2017</b>: Infinite Hiatus</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Present

When I was young, my mother told me that a person was only allowed to love one thing in their lifetime, whether it be a person, material object, or just something that they enjoy. To be truthful, I never understood why she told me those words at such a young age, but I had the feeling that it had something to do with my father leaving us when I was a baby.

She had said the words enough for me to fear them though, but she may have been right; I had already learned the hard way a couple of times.

A drink was in my hand as I leaned on the bar, staring down at the photograph in my hands. In the picture was a volleyball team that was preparing for their match on a national stage. They donned their black and orange uniforms, looks of determination on their faces as a frail smile found my lips.

It should have been my team on that court, but we lost to a murder of crows known as Karasuno and never left regionals; I blamed myself mostly because they had lost me as their captain. Five years ago, I suffered a knee injury that put me out for good, but I knew why I was ripped away from the sport I loved...

As I took a drink from my glass, my eyes looked down at one of the boys in the photograph. The look in his dark blue orbs made my heart skip a beat as I chewed at my lip. Those eyes held everything I ever dreamed of, but he had to have been the reason.

I didn't blame him for losing one of the few things I was gifted with though; I was at fault for many reasons due to the risks I was taking while playing.

“Sir, would you like another drink?” The bartender asked me, studying me carefully before I nodded my head and muttered when I snapped out of my trance, “Give me a screwdriver.”

My fingers ran over the blue-eyed boy's face as I shut my eyes and sighed. Everything was perfect in my life until I fell for another.

I had lost the one thing that I loved all because my heart longed for a boy named Kageyama Tobio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is something completely new for me, and it doesn't help that I'm bad at first chapters.
> 
> After working on one story for a little over a year, I'm diving back into another fanfiction, this one being the volleyball anime this time. I have most of the story planned already so hopefully I'll have time in order to work from the first chapter to the next and I hope that you guys will enjoy the story.
> 
> Also, do pay attention to the chapter titles; they will guide you when it comes to whether each chapter is in the past or the present because I will be switching between the two quite often.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy the story and please stay tuned to what I have next.
> 
> Comment/Kudos/Subscribe/Enjoy!


	2. Past

I was practicing jump serve after jump serve until sweat was rolling down my face. The new school year had just begun and it being my final year of junior high, I was determined to lead my team all the way to nationals.  
  
As my final ball smacked against the other side of the court in victory, I smiled, grabbing my water bottle and downing most of the clear, cool liquid. I could feel a set of eyes burning into me and I glanced over to see my childhood friend standing in the doorway of the gym.  
  
“What are you doing here so early, Oikawa?” Iwaizumi asked me, sitting his bag off to the side before approaching me.  
  
I wiped my face off with my shirt and sighed, “I missed being here. You know I live and breathe volleyball, Iwa-chan.”  
  
A smile spread across my face as I went after one of the balls, shouting, “Go get changed! You're going to practice with me before school, right?” He sighed softly, shaking his head before heading off to the club room without another word as I hummed to myself.  
  
Club activities began just a week ago and we were lucky this year to be presented with such talented first years. My eyes had been locked on one though, the prodigy. The kid had been playing since year two in elementary school and my blood boiled every time I saw him practice. His technique was _perfect_ in every way and I hadn't forgotten about the comment that the coach made the other day when he said the boy would probably play as a setter.  
  
There was something else about the boy that I couldn't put my finger on that bothered me when he got near; just being in the younger male's presence made me antsy and sick to my stomach like I had never been before. It brought out my determination though and I was hellbent on becoming stronger than him to show our coach that I was a better setter and that I was capable of facing the rival that always left us in the dust.  
  
Iwaizumi came back a moment later, changed into a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt before I called out, “It took you long enough.”  
  
The older male's face turned red and he glanced away before muttering, “Shut up, Shittykawa,” before beginning to stretch.  
  
I couldn't help but hold a smile on my face as I prepared myself day in and day out for the future that this year would hold for the two of us.

* * *

 My eyes were trained to Tobio-chan, our new prodigy setter. I envied him, being so bright at his young age and I clenched my fists before performing another perfect serve. I watched the boy's dark blue eyes light up in amazement at the sight and I couldn't help but smile.  
  
The younger boy glanced down at his hands and as my eyes trailed down to them, my heart skipped a beat. It was something about how small they were that forced me to lock eyes with them before I looked away, a blush lighting up my cheeks. What had brought me to stare at a first year's hands for what seemed like minutes?  
  
I clutched the front of my shirt, gripping it tightly before I glanced down at the floor. My heart was racing in my chest and I didn't understand why.  
  
Looked up once again, my eyes found Tobio-chan's and I took a deep breath before looking away, muttering to myself, “There's no way that... No...”  
  
“Oikawa! Stop slacking and get back to practicing. You know we have a the tournament in a couple of months and we don't need our captain softening up on us!” The coach yelled and I looked over at him, rubbing the back of my head and smiling softly.  
  
“Sorry, sorry,” I muttered, grabbing another volleyball and trying to ignore the pain that was slowly forming in my chest, “I just got lost up in the clouds.”

* * *

I walked down the school halls with a slight limp. My knee had been hurting me quite a bit recently, but I blamed it on the amount of practice I had been putting myself through. I had heard my teammates say that it may have been too much and that I was overexerting myself, but I felt like it was never enough.  
  
As I stood in the hall, a small circle of girls surrounded me gushing about how athletic and attractive I was, but I never paid much attention to them; though they were cute, I just didn't care for relationships.  
  
At the end of the hall, I saw my friend leaning against a window sill, his arms crossed in front of his chest and I sighed softly. Quickly saying my goodbyes to the girls, I waved them off before making my way towards him and prepared myself for a lecture.  
  
A scowl was set deep in his features as I approached him before he pulled his lips into a tight line when I opened my mouth to say something, only to have him cut me off, “The next time I catch you practicing any other time besides club activities, I'm going to have the coach put you on the bench. You may be team captain, but if you keep working the way that you are now, you're going to end up hurting yourself.”  
  
“I'm fine. I just want to make sure that we're prepared for--”  
  
“Bullshit, Oikawa,” he snapped, frowning, “I can see the way you're trying to keep the weight off your knee right now and if you keep up, it's only going to get worse. Do you want to be able to do the thing that you, “live and breathe,” or do you want to be on the sidelines for the rest of your life?”  
  
My heart stopped as my eyes trailed off to look out the window, staring down at the courtyard. Maybe I had been overworking myself. Maybe it was time for me to lay off practicing so much. I mean, how much stronger could I get on my own without the other members of my team?”  
  
“Fine,” I muttered, “I'll stop, but promise me something, Iwa-chan.”  
  
His eyes bore into me as he gestured for me to continue and I chewed at my lip before saying, “Promise me that we'll go to nationals this year, no matter what.”  
  
He sighed, rolling his eyes and muttering, “Don't get sappy on me, Trashykawa.”  
  
I couldn't help but smile at the look on his face.

* * *

A couple of weeks passed and I found myself looking over at the first year more and more. My envy turned into something more, something like jealousy, but there were also other emotions that I was nowhere near able to explain... emotions that I was scared of.  
  
As we were in the middle of a practice match with another junior high, my eyes found the younger boy in the corner, standing there, watching the game in fascination.  
  
I scoffed, glancing over at the other team for a moment, meeting the eyes of their captain and smiling. Last year, we had taken out his team with ease in the regional tournament and I was more than prepared to do it once again.  
  
He smirked, staring at me before I stuck out my tongue to tell him that the game was on.  
  
The match was rough to say the least. My mind moved in a million directions as I tried to make sure that each toss meant perfection, but more than once I had caught sight of the look in Tobio-chan's eyes and... my heart stopped when my toss flew past my teammate's hand as he tried to spike it to the other side.  
  
The whistle blew as the other team cheered at their newfound point and I found the coach glaring at me. My teammates grumbled and I felt eyes watching me closely as our coach snapped, “Oikawa, bench. Kageyama, give it a try.”  
  
Slowly, my legs carried me over to the wooden bench, my knee hurting slightly before I sat down. My hands were clenched tightly into fists as Iwaizumi stared me down before returning to the game; worry sat in his eyes, but I didn't notice it.  
  
I was too busy focusing on Tobio-chan, anger running through me. Maybe the coach was going to replace me with the genius first year. Maybe he was going to be putting me on the sidelines for the first time in three years. The boy was a much better player in theory, but I had fought from day one to reach the position that I was in now.  
  
My eyes locked with his blue orbs and quickly I looked away as I felt sick. I needed to stay away from him because there was something wrong with that boy.

* * *

_Smack!_  
  
A volleyball hit the other side of the court as I panted, reaching for another. Practice had been over for a while now and as everyone was heading home, I had decided to stay. I _wanted_ to practice because I needed to get better. I _needed_ to practice to outdo that damn prodigy.  
  
_Smack!_  
  
Footsteps approached me, but I didn't dare look over. I didn't want anyone to pull me out of the state of mind that I was in; I needed to practice alone. I needed to stay focused on my hands and the ball and nothing more.  
  
_Smack!_  
  
I tried to catch my breath as I heard a soft voice say, “Oikawa-san, please teach me how to serve.”  
  
I glanced up to meet those blue eyes staring down at me as my heart erupted with an unknown pain that was telling me to keep him as far away as possible. He was poison, something that would potentially ruin my life and I had no idea why... and then suddenly I realized to answer to my question.  
  
_Smack!_  
  
Iwaizumi was holding my raised hand as it hit me that I had just attempted to slap the younger boy. Fear sat in his eyes and I stood there, dumbfounded, slowly getting lost in them before my childhood friend snapped me out of it:  
  
“Calm down, dumbass!”  
  
I stared at the younger boy blankly, a weak apology leaving my lips before Iwaizumi told him that it was best if he went home. My eyes were glued to the mop of black hair as he quickly gathered his things and left, slamming the gym door behind him before I felt Iwaizumi's gaze on me once more.  
  
I was frozen in my spot, trying to process what had just happened when the older male sighed, “That substitution today was to let you clear your head.” His words passed over me as I thought about the younger male taking _my_ place and my anger, frustration, and confusion began bubbling over once again as if it never left. He sighed softly, shaking his head, “Just take some time and--”  
  
“There's no way I can do that when I can't possibly win again _anyone_ the way that I am now! I want to win and go on to nationals! In order to do that I have to--”  
  
I was cut off as I felt something hard slam into my nose, pain taking over as the older male shouted, “All of that “I, I” shit is annoying!” Blood ran down my face and I saw a dark red spot forming on the center of his forehead as he yelled, “Are you planning to fight by yourself? This isn't a joke, you dumbass! Your results and the team's results are the same! Volleyball has six people on the court for a reason, whether the opponent is some powerhouse school or a genius first--”  
  
“I think I'm in love with him,” my voice cracked as I finally mentioned the thing that plagued my mind before I attempted to hit Kageyama and Iwaizumi's expression changed almost instantly.  
  
“Did I headbutt you too hard, Oikawa? One minute we're talking about you overworking yourself and now you're spouting out that you're in love with Kageyama?” He asked, staring hard as I wiped the crimson away from my nostril.  
  
“That's why I hate him so much... It's because of Mother's words...” I trailed off, talking to myself as he frowned, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he realized the previous topic had been abandoned.  
  
His stare bore into me as he said, “You think that because of something your mother told you when you were young is the reason that you hate that boy? How can you even tell that you're in love with him when you've barely even spoke to him? Are you mistaking love for jealousy?”  
  
I sat down on the gym floor, rubbing my injured knee as I said softly, “Mother always said that you could only love one thing and my choice was volleyball. If I've fallen in love with Tobio-chan, then there's no way I'd be able to keep doing this. You know for a fact that I've only been hurt once while playing, Iwa-chan, and I've trained harder than this before. Besides, I get a bad feeling whenever he is around.” I looked away for a moment and then I heard the older male huff.  
  
“I think you're full of shit following that old saying, but if you really believe it then do what your gut tells you; stay away from him,” He sighed, gaze trained to one of the blue-yellow balls that littered the floor as I shut my eyes.  
  
“I'm trying my best because this sport is the only reason that I wake up every morning; I don't want to lose it.”

* * *

We didn't end up going to nationals. As always, we were struck down by the same undefeated team on the same stage, but the loss brought something of a change in me. After that battle, I had realized that my team was stronger when we worked together and that only fueled my determination; I wanted to build the exact same thing once I reached high school.  
  
The third years stood in front of the underclassmen, saying our goodbyes and giving out our final wishes as we were leaving the club in their hands when my eyes locked on deep blue orbs. I pulled my lip between my teeth and the faintest of pains shot through my braced knee as I knew that this could have been the last time that I saw the volleyball prodigy...  
  
“Tobio-chan,” my voice said and his attention turned fully to me, Iwaizumi's gaze falling close behind. I puffed up my chest, a cocky tone taking over my voice as I continued, “I don't know how far you'll go after this, but when we battle against each other someday, I'll definitely crush you.”  
  
The young boy stared at me, lips pulled in a straight line without the faintest trace of a smile as he nodded his head and without warning, my heart felt like it was going to explode.  
  
No, it definitely wasn't the last time I was going to see Tobio-chan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I kinda have no faith in this chapter? It's so awkward and it was a little hard to write for some reason, but I've tried so many things to change it and it just... yeah, it didn't seem to work out. I also feel like my Oikawa is really out of character, but I'm trying. 
> 
> I apologize for the awkwardness; I always have trouble getting to my feet when it comes to writing a new story and working with the present in the past forces me to come across the issue of giving two introductions... if that makes any sense; as I continue to work with the past also, it may be awkward, but at the same time it may not, in actuality, it all depends on how I move on. 
> 
> Like the first chapter, the next will be short and (not so) sweet. I won't really be delving into the present until later on in the story... Haha, sorry, it'll be slow for now. I am trying to think of something to do with the next chapter though that won't make it as boring at the first. 
> 
> Okay, I think I've rambled enough. 
> 
> Comment/Kudos/Subscribe/Enjoy! 
> 
> MistressPhantomhive


	3. Present

I walked through my apartment, eyes hazy from the amount of drinks I had consumed in the past few hours. After leaving the bar, I went straight home because where else was I supposed to go? Last time I checked, there wasn't many places open just after three in the morning and even though it took me three times to get the key in the lock, I still ended up home.  
  
I pursed my lips, eyes wandering around the room before they locked on a framed white and sea foam green jersey; the last jersey that I ever wore. Snorting, I began to walk towards the couch, slightly dragging my right leg behind me as my knee hurt.  
  
The limp wasn't as bad as it used to be, but it was still there as a to remind me of the first love I ever lost.  
  
As I threw myself down onto the leather seat, I looked over at the shelf on the wall, a small plaque engraved with the words, “Best Setter,” mocking me from its spot and I just shut my eyes, laying my face in the palm of my hands.  
  
It was the only award that I had left junior high with and just looking at it pained me. The plaque was a constant reminder of the past and how hard I worked all because of one boy... Oh, how I always tried to do better than him even though I knew he thought of me as his senpai.  
  
My phone vibrated where I left it before going off to the bar and I picked it up, noticing that I had almost five missed calls from Iwaizumi. Even though we had parted ways before going to college, we still saw each other quite often and it made me realize that our friendship will probably never die.  
  
Ignoring the time, I slowly dialed his number before holding the phone up to my ear, listening to it ring. I picked at a spot on my pants, reaching for my camera and holding it on my lap before I heard the click of my call being answered, a groggy voice speaking:  
  
“ _Oikawa, what are you doing calling at this time of night?_ ”  
  
“I saw that you had called, Iwa-chan, and I only thought it was only appropriate to return the gesture. I had figured that you're worried about me since we haven't spoke in about a week,” my voice was slightly slurred as I spoke, examining my camera lense.  
  
The line was silent for a moment before I heard him sigh, “ _You were at the bar again, weren't you? What did I tell you about not bringing you cell phone with you? If something would have happened to you then--_ ”  
  
“Iwa-chan, I'm fine. I made it home okay and if you really want to know what I'm doing right now, I'm sitting in my living room about to go through some photos that I took of a lovely couple a few days ago,” I said, cutting him off before he went on one of his long, motherly lectures.  
  
I heard him sigh before he grumbled, “ _I still worry about you, Trashykawa. I don't think I'll ever stop doing that. We've always been best friends for a reason._ ”  
  
“ _Iwaizumi, who is it that you're talking on the phone this late to? Is it Oikawa-san?_ ” A voice was heard from the background of his call and I knew that it had to have been his current boyfriend/girlfriend; the voice was too faint to tell which.  
  
I coughed, slurring once again, “Well, I'll let you get back to sleep. I'm sorry for calling you this late at night, but yeah... You can text me in the morning or something; whichever you'd prefer. I-I'll be sure to stay out of trouble...”  
  
He cried out to protest as he noticed the change of tone in my voice before I hung up, not even saying goodbye.  
  
I hated the fact that all of my friends – not that I had that many anymore – were out being happy with their lives while I spent most of my time drinking my woes away. Yes, I loved my job and I got to meet so many people each day, but it felt like there was a hole in my heart and I knew the only thing that would be able to fill it.  
  
Turning on my camera, I began to flip through the pictures of the photo shoot, staring at the happy couple as they held hands, admiring each others faces. The look in the woman's eyes was pure adoration, while I could tell by the man's posture that he'd do anything to protect her.  
  
Tears streamed down my face and I tried to wipe them away with the back of my hand, but I couldn't help it. I was alone and I was meant to remain that way; if that hadn't have been the case, I wouldn't have lost my ability to play volleyball, I wouldn't have had to force myself into a profession that I almost knew nothing about, I wouldn't have had to force myself to watch that boy walk away with someone with bright orange hair, clutching each others hands tightly.  
  
I sat the camera back down on the coffee table, grabbing a tissue and blowing my nose before I laid back on the couch, slowly drifting to sleep as my exhaustion finally took over.  
  
Why couldn't I just fall in love like everyone else does?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Present chapters are easy to write at the moment, but I feel like I mention the future all too much. I already have the base planned for chapter four though so it shouldn't be hard to get it up in a couple of weeks.
> 
> I'll be taking driving lessons next week and then I'll be working towards getting a job so I'll have a little less time to write, but I'm determined to work on this story. I'm really enjoying writing it right now. 
> 
> Also, I know my Oikawa is out of character, I mentioned this in my author's note last chapter. He is for a reason because he's depressed basically. I hate doing this to him because even though he's snarky in the anime, he's still one of my many favorite characters. 
> 
> Until next chapter,  
> Comment/Subscribe/Kudos/Enjoy! 
> 
> MistressPhantomhive


	4. Past

“Mm, Iwa-chan,” I hummed as he older male kissed the side of my neck. Early morning sunlight filtered into my bedroom as the two of us laid naked, side by side, in my bed. Iwaizumi had his arm wrapped tightly around my waist as I opened my eyes slightly, glancing over at him.  
  
“Good morning, Trashykawa,” he muttered, a small smirk playing at his lips as I rolled on my side to face him before feeling his hand on the small of my back. We weren't dating, but we had shared a bed together quite frequently these past few months; being teenage boys, we both had needs.  
  
“What time is it?” I asked as he leaned in, kissing my neck once again. In the mornings he was quite clingy, and I leaned into his touch, sighing softly as I heard him chuckle.  
  
“Does it matter what time it is? Today is Saturday so why don't we stay in bed for just a little bit longer?” Iwaizumi whispered and I sighed before he pulled me closer to him.  
  
I shut my eyes for a moment, taking in his scent of sweat and faded musky cologne before muttering, “Fine, but not for too long. Okaasan is coming home today and they might need me to come and coach the young, future volleyball stars this afternoon.”  
  
Iwaizumi faintly nodded his head, not even making a comment about how I referred to the kids as I curled into his chest before he rested his head atop mine. The two of us were extremely close, but we both knew that this could never be a relationship.  
  
“Oikawa?” I heard my childhood friend murmur as sleep weighed down my body once again.  
  
“Yes, Iwa-chan?” I responded, my fingers running slowly across his chest.  
  
“Do you still think about him? Even after all of these years?” Iwaizumi muttered and I sat up slightly, staring into his chocolate orbs. I wondered why he asked me such a question before I settled down once again and shut my eyes.  
  
How could I not think about _him_ whenever I had to put on a white knee supporter every game? Why could I not go halfway through practice without wondering how far he's gotten in life? Which high school does he even go to? He's a first year, right?  
  
My throat tightened slightly as I swallowed, whispering, “Yeah. Yeah, I do. I should probably stop, but I just can't.” A nervous laugh left my lips and I felt the older male's fingers run through my hair.  
  
My heart was thrumming against my chest and I sighed, “I want to forget and just move on, but I'm stuck. I love volleyball and I shouldn't want anything else, but...”  
  
Iwaizumi lifted my chin and I stared at me before he kissed me on the mouth. A soft moan escaped from my throat as I allowed his tongue to explore my mouth and I sat up a little further before he whispered against my lips, “Don't worry, Oikawa, I'm here to help you forget.”  
  
The two of us broke away from each other and I knew that there was truth in his words. Deep down inside, I knew that my best friend was harboring feelings for me, but sadly he knew that I could never return them out of fear.  
  
Slowly, I drifted back to sleep, laying on his chest and listening to the beat of his heart, the rhythm similar to that of mine when Kageyama was around.

* * *

“Okaasan,” I muttered, brewing tea as I stood in the kitchen in a pair of boxers and a large shirt. Iwaizumi had only left a little over fifteen minutes before my mother came home and I watched as she sat her purse on the counter, taking a seat on a barstool before sighing. I glanced over at her with worried eyes, pouring her a cup of the steaming liquid before pushing it towards her.  
  
“H-How was your trip?” I stuttered, staring at her. Because of her job, she would leave on business trips quite often, but she put food on the table and that's what mattered the most.  
  
“Tooru, how have your volleyball practices been? I'm sure you've been leading your team well with your position being captain once again,” she said, smiling and ignoring my original question. I could see the fatigue in her brown eyes and I knew the expression she wore was fake.  
  
I took a sip of my tea and said, “Ah, we've been doing great. Iwa-chan and I have been practicing before school like we used to; we're determined to make it to nationals finally this year.” I grinned, giving her a small thumbs-up and stuck out my tongue.  
  
A soft chuckle left her lips as she said, “I'm sure you will, darling. You work so hard every year. Why don't you invite Hajime-kun over for dinner one night when I'm not busy? It's been a while since I've seen the two of you together outside of school.”  
  
Faintly, a blush spread across my cheeks and I nodded my head. Just as I was about to open my mouth to speak again, her phone began ringing. She rolled her eyes, reaching for the device and I glanced down at my cup of tea, listening to her side of the conversation.  
  
“Oikawa,” she answered. There was a pause as her eyes went wide and she shouted, “He did what?! I'm going to--”  
  
There was silence once again as she clenched her hand into a fist, sighing loudly, “But I just got home! My youngest son is here and I'd like to spend a little time with him before--”  
  
She knitted her eyebrows together as she was cut off again. I watched as she pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned, “Fine, but I better get paid for this.”  
  
My focus turned solely to my hands wrapped around the warm mug of liquid as the call continued. Mom was never around and when these types of things happened, they never fazed me much; it takes time, but you get used to being alone.  
  
She hung up the phone, almost throwing it back into her bag as she shook her head and said, “I'm sorry, Tooru. One of my idiot underlings messed up our sales numbers and it's caused a disaster. They need me back at the office and--”  
  
“Okaasan, it's okay,” I said, faking a smile for her sake as she held a neutral expression.  
  
Her brown eyes bore into me before she stood up, walking over to me as I leaned down. She placed a kiss on my forehead and hugged me tightly, saying softly, “I'll make it up to you. Maybe we'll go out for sushi one night; my treat.” She flashed me a grin and I slowly nodded my head.  
  
“Love you, Okaasan,” I muttered.  
  
“I love you also, Tooru,” she sighed before letting go, grabbing her bag and heading out the door quickly.  
  
I stood at the window, watching her leave like I did when I was a little kid before turning away. My eyes locked on my cup of tea before I dumped out the liquid, suddenly deciding that I didn't want it anymore. I tugged at my hair before heading off to my bedroom, trying to chase the thoughts that were running through my head.  
  
Even though I was so used to it, I hated being alone; I just needed to get out this house to clear my head.

* * *

My hands were shoved in the pocket of my hoodie as I walked through a park, glancing around to see if I could find my nephew. My brother had told me to meet the younger male after I texted him and asked if I could come over; of course, he also had to be busy with work, but he said that Takeru was antsy being stuck in the house for so long.  
  
As I looked around, my eyes locked on the black haired boy I was searching for. He clutched a volleyball tightly in his hands and a soft smile crossed my lips. Last year, my brother had taken him to one of my matches and shortly afterwards, the younger male became hooked.  
  
“Tooru,” Takeru said as I approached him with a soft smile crossing my lips. He held out the ball to me and I took it as he asked, “Is there any way that we can have a match today? I want to practice; it's been a few days and I want to get stronger like you!”  
  
“Ah, little Take-chan looks up to his oji-san? I never thought I'd see the day that you'd utter those words!” I boasted and my nephew made a face, looking away.  
  
“Please don't get full of yourself. I mean, I can just go back home and bother Papa; I'm sure he'd enjoy that,” Takeru muttered, glancing over at me and I shuddered. I really didn't want a call from my brother complaining about how I couldn't even watch my own nephew.  
  
“Fine, fine, Takeru. Come on, I'll make a few phone calls and see if we can borrow any of your volleyball classmates today,” I said, running a hand through my hair before handing him back the ball and pulled out my phone.  
  
My nephew smiled as he twisted the volleyball in his hands and I scrolled through my contacts before dialing a number and listening to it ring. Takeru seemed content with playing a game with his friends and I just loved to see him flash that grin when he played; like me, he loved the competition the most.  
  
“ _Hello?_ ” I heard a female voice say and I smiled.  
  
“Hi, my name is Oikawa Tooru, I coach your son's volleyball class and I was wondering...”

* * *

“Nice serve!” A little girl with pigtails yelled. Takeru glanced at her and smiled as I stood on the sidelines, watching the other team receive the ball before working together to send it towards the net. I had to say, in the past couple of months that I had been teaching these kids, they had improved significantly and I was impressed.  
  
My arms were crossed in front of my chest as Takeru scored his team another point and I had to contain my excitement, restraining my cheers so that I didn't make the other kids feel left out.  
  
A boy on the other team, one that had came with his older sister today, stood at the corner of the court, shaking. I could tell that he was nervous, possibly because he was next to serve. As far as I knew, this kid had little to no experience with volleyball and he had only came because his sister made him.  
  
Slowly, I made my way towards him, calling a time out as the other kids dispersed, grabbing their water bottles. The boy looked at me with dark blue eyes that reminded me of someone important in my life and I smiled. Leaning down, I looked directly at him before asking, “You're worried, aren't you?”  
  
He chewed his lip, nodding his head. “What if I mess up? I-I don't want to miss my serve and have everyone laugh at me,” he muttered, looking down.  
  
“You know, I was really bad at serving when I first started out,” I said, grabbing my chin in thought, “Actually, I was bad at everything; I couldn't serve, spike, and I once took a ball to the face while receiving.” The boy giggled and a small smile played my lips, “My true calling was tossing the ball to my teammates though.”  
  
His blue eyes stared at up at before he stuttered, “C-Can you teach me how to serve?”  
  
I nodded my head, calling the kids back and stood next to the boy, holding a volleyball and meeting my nephew's eyes. He smirked, knowing how I was about to serve and muttered something to his teammates; Takeru and I had practiced quite a bit together on my days off.  
  
Giving the boy simple instructions, I demonstrated how to do a regular serve, sending the ball off to the other side of the court. Takeru received it, struggling with the force as I had aimed it specifically at him before glancing down at the blue eyed boy and whispered, “Want to see something that took me years to master?”  
  
He nodded his head vigorously before I shouted, “This won't count as a point so watch out, kiddos. I'm gonna show you something that maybe you'll be able to do one day with enough practice.” The kids moved out of the way and I prepared myself, throwing the ball up in the air before running up to jump.  
  
My hand hit the ball with a force that caused a cocky grin to spread across my face. As the ball smacked loudly on the other side of the court and gravity brought me back down, I felt my ankle shift and I winced, suddenly unable to put my weight fully on it.  
  
I acted as if I was fine though. I gave a small smile, to the astonished kids, watching as they continued to play and slowly, I sunk down to the gym floor, trying to ignore the throbbing sensation in my ankle. There was no way I could be injured so close to our volleyball matches beginning and I knew that if I was, then everyone would feel let down because I was trying to show off for a couple of kids.  
  
“Tooru?” Takeru said after his game was finished, looking down at me, cocking his head to the side like a puppy would. I sat there, staring up at him before he asked, “Are you okay? I-I noticed after you did that jump serve you didn't say or do much else...”  
  
I chuckled lightly, trying to stand to my feet before I limped heavily, fearing that I may have done some major damage to my leg as I handed Takeru my phone, muttering, “I hate to do this, but call Okaasan... Let's just say that I may have hurt myself while giving you guys a show.”  
  
Takeru stared at me for a long moment before snorting and saying, “Oh this is going to be a great story to tell to Papa.”

* * *

“What did I tell you about playing volleyball without stretching first? On top of that, you weren't wearing your brace, Idiotkawa!” Iwaizumi yelled as I sat on his bed, my crutches laying nearby. I frowned as I had already received this lecture from my mother, “You do remember what the doctor said? If you put too much strain on your knee then--”  
  
“Iwa-chan, I know,” I said, remembering the doctor's words perfectly; me even playing at the moment went against his wishes, but I just couldn't give it up and we all knew that for a fact.  
  
He crossed his arms in front of his chest, asking, “How long are you going to be out for?” His eyes bore into me and I looked away.  
  
“Two weeks. They told me that I was lucky that it was just a light sprain.”  
  
He snorted, sitting down next to me before muttering, “Once again I'll have to play captain and we'll have to have a stand-in player as our setter.”  
  
Looking down at his hands he was twisting his fingers together as he was becoming more stressed. He mumbled something I couldn't hear and I hooked my fingers under his chin, tilting his head. He stared at me with brown orbs for a long moment before I leaned closer to him.  
  
“Don't stress so much; it's only two weeks and the teams we're playing in the next few practice matches can easily be wiped out. Besides, you may be hot-headed, Iwa-chan, but you're a good leader; almost better than me,” I sighed, grinning as he nudged his nose against mine, our lips ghosting each other.  
  
He kissed me softly and I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer. This is how we got rid of our problems; this is how we forgot them. Ever since we were little, we always found comfort in one another, but it just escalated to _this_ as we grew older.  
  
“ _Ah..._ ” I hissed as we fell down onto the mattress, his lips trailing down my neck before I knotted my fingers up in his spiky hair. He nipped at my skin and I moaned before he whispered into my ear, “I _need_ you right now to just get everything off my mind, but I don't want to hurt you...” He glanced down at the brace on my ankle and I sighed, shaking my head.  
  
“I'll be fine, Iwa-chan,” I muttered as before he stared at me for a long moment, giving me a kiss that I slowly melted into.  
  
He wasn't the only one who needed this... and he knew that for a fact that I always kept thinking about a pair of forbidden blue eyes. He always knew that, that boy sat in the back of my mind.

* * *

The day I was cleared to begin practice once again was the day we had a match with a former powerhouse school named Karasuno. I walked down the hall, listening to the sound of shouts, the squeak of tennis shoes, and the screech of a whistle. The game sounded as if it was going strong and I grinned, my hands shoved deep in the pockets of my jacket.  
  
As soon as I walked into the gym, I saw the score, cringing slightly as I noticed that Karasuno was winning, my team close behind. I snorted, walking up behind the coach before saying, “Oh dear, so you've had one set stolen out from under you.”  
  
The coach whipped his head around, looking at me and asking, “Oh, you're back! How's your ankle?”  
  
I smiled, rubbing the back of my head, “Perfectly fine! I can attend normal practices; it was just a minor injury after all.” I heard the girls from the female team cheer my name and I gave them a small wave.  
  
“Honestly, be more careful, Oikawa,” Coach Irihata muttered and I said a small apology before he continued, “Besides, I was worried you wouldn't make this match. You're the one who asked to play against Kageyama and what were we supposed to do without our official setter?”  
  
Kageyama? I never asked to play against him because I knew I needed to stay away from him... I glanced around to the other side of the court before meeting stern blue eyes and noticed that he no longer had those round, childish features that I last saw, but instead he had grown up to be a fine young man. Id' be lying if I said that he wasn't attractive.  
  
My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to keep up my cocky attitude, the girls cheering for me in the background, mute. I met Iwaizumi's eyes and my image almost cracked as he looked sad before I drug my eyes back to Tobio.  
  
“Hey there. Long time no see, Tobio-chan. You've really grown,” I said, smiling and giving him a wave. He didn't respond as he muttered something about me to a boy with bright orange hair and I smirked, deciding that there was only one way that I could really get under his skin. “How's the “King” doing?”  
  
The younger male's expression into a look of annoyance as my heart raced in my chest before the coach shouted, “Anyway, go warm up! And be more careful than you usually are!”  
  
My gaze held Tobio's for just a moment long before I walked off, feeling Iwaizumi grab my shoulder as he muttered, “Behave... I did this for you. I want to... to prove a point. I wanted to show that you should go after him because I've seen the way you look at him, Shittykawa.”  
  
I stared at him with wide eyes before moving away from the game, pulling off my jacket and slipping on one of the green practice jerseys, watching the match continue. I stretched out, slipping on my knee supporter as a small twitch ran through my leg. Now wasn't the time for this to happen; now wasn't the time for me to fail.  
  
My eyes glanced to the score, Karasuno at a match point as we were three behind them. I had been watching their players as they awkwardly fumbled around Tobio for a while and in my head, I set a plan of attack. I approached from the back of the gym and sighed, “Oh dear, we're in quite a pinch, aren't we?”  
  
“What about your warmup?” Coach asked me and I smiled, giving him a smile and hummed, “I'm all done.”  
  
Coach called for a player change and I approached the court, giving a high five to Kunimi as he wished me the best of luck. I thanked him, taking my place at the back of the court as someone threw me a volleyball. I flipped it around in a my hands a few times before looking up at my opponent and smiling.  
  
I caught the prodigy's eyes for a moment before mine moved towards a blond haired male with glasses. I raised a finger to him, pointing as I called out, “No matter how strong your offensive power may be, if your _attack_ doesn't connect, then there's no meaning in it, is there?”  
  
A smile slid across my lips as I aimed at him, sending the ball off and watched as the boy ruined his receive, the ball ricocheting and almost hitting a girl viewing the game. I watched the shocked expressions fall across the members of Tobio's team and the blond rubbed his arms, wincing as they stung from the amount of force.  
  
“Yup, just as I thought. I noticed it while I was stretching, you, #6,” I said, gesturing to the blond, “and #5,” moving my hand to the ginger, “are bad at receives, right? I'm assuming you're first years.” I smirked and all of the team stared at me before another ball came my way and I cooed, “Here's another one, okay?”  
  
The boy fumbled once again, one of his teammates in the sideline shouted what I assumed was his name as a look of agitation crossed the blond's face. My eyes fell over to the scoreboard as I mused, “Oh, just one more point and they'll be equal.”  
  
“Hey! Grand King! Aim it at me too! Right here!” The ginger boy yelled and my attention was drawn to him, questioning the nickname that he had just called me.  
  
The blond reprimanded him, telling him not to shout, but he frowned, just staring at me. My knee twitched as they muttered to one another, Tobio standing off to the side as I noticed that their captain had changed their formation slightly. I knew what he was doing as he tried to protect his team from every serve I threw and I sighed, just shaking my head.  
  
“But you know, by yourself,” I muttered, voice growing louder as I tossed the ball in the air, running to serve, “you can't protect everything!”  
  
As soon as the ball left my hand, I saw Tobio's eyes staring at me intently. His expression told me that he had heard that line before and I felt my heart race in my chest along with the adrenaline of the game.  
  
_Crack!_  
  
“Fu-” I gasped as I hit the ground, clutching my knee and hissing.  
  
“Oikawa?!” Iwaizumi shouted, running towards me with wide eyes. The coach stood to his feet and my teammates soon followed as I laid there. My childhood friend tried to pull me up, muttering to himself that it was just another sprain, and I shook my head.  
  
The two of us knew that this was it for me and there was no denying it. He was with me when I first found out that I tore my ACL back in junior high and the more I put myself out on the court, the bigger I knew the risk was of me making it worse since I had blown off the thought of surgery so many times; there was no way that it could be fixed now.  
  
“This is all my fault... If I hadn't of...” my childhood friend muttered and tears pricked my eyes.  
  
Everyone was talking around me, but I was silent, only a sad chuckle leaving my lips. My eyes found the team on the other side of the court as they watched, a set of blue eyes worried as they focused on me.  
  
I should have listened to my mother's words and forgot him when I had the chance, but I just couldn't let him go and in the end, this is what I got.  
  
I lost my first love. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer than I thought it would be, but it's kinda repetitive. I also wanted to shove some IwaOi in there for my own personal pleasure; sorry for those of you who are bothered by it. Also, don't worry because there won't be much left of it after I run through the next chapter or so. 
> 
> I wanted to show a little snippet of Oikawa in his mother in this chapter for the reason being, I felt like I needed to show how she acted now that he's older. Yes, he gave him the advice when he was only a child, but how is she holding up, trying to raise her youngest son on her own? I also knew I needed to include her somewhere.
> 
> The reason for me showing Oikawa injuring himself twice was because one, I was trying to follow what had happened in the manga/anime while showing what I wanted to add, and two, I like to make things a little complicated. Oikawa blames his final injury on Kageyama, but there is also the chance that the first injury is at fault... The question is, is Oikawa blind to these events because of his mother's words or is it because of the past happenings.
> 
> Also, I didn't know the exact way I should refer to family members in this chapter, so I went with a little Google search. I thought it would be best to refer to them by the (possibly) correct Japanese name in the dialogue while referring to the actual relation in any other part of the text.
> 
> So, Oikawa lost his first love, but this isn't even near to the end of the story. No, I still have so much more to add and as always, the next chapter will be in the present point of view. Truthfully, there isn't too many past views left, but I'm still gonna squeeze them in. I also have a few surprises rolled up my sleeve. 
> 
> ...and now the big question is, when is Oikawa going to admit his feelings for Kageyama and is the young boy going to return those given the current circumstances? 
> 
> Comment/Subscribe/Kudos/Enjoy. 
> 
> MistressPhantomhive


	5. Present

My phone buzzed on the coffee table in front of me, the noise pulling me from my slumber. I yawned, my eyes bleary as my head throbbed and I sat up, grabbing the device before turning off the alarm. Truthfully, I was exhausted with it being only nine in the morning, but I couldn't sleep in; I had a client at one today and I made sure to never miss an appointment.  
  
Stumbling through the apartment, I made my way into the bathroom, turning on the water and slowly stripped off my clothes, not caring where they fell in the floor.  
  
I shivered the moment I stepped under the cool stream of water, wrapping my arms around myself. Even though it was my career, I didn't want to take any clients today, but I was only doing this one because it was a special request from a friend.  
  
Like Iwaizumi and I, Kuroo grew up with someone who he was close with from the start. Kuroo's childhood friend recently became engaged and he and his partner wanted photos to announce the event; I was also pestered until I agreed.  
  
Lathering up the soap on my body, I wished my headache would subside before pinching the bridge of my nose. I shouldn't have stayed out drinking last night; I knew better, but it was my addiction and I could handle it if I wanted to. I mean, I had been doing pretty well since I started off, right?  
  
After I made sure I was fully washed off, I climbed out of the shower before wiping off the mirror and shaved off the faint amount of stubble on my face. Even though I was severely hungover, I still needed to look nice and hold up my reputation as a professional businessman as I had built this image over the past few years. I was known across the areas surrounding my hometown and Tokyo as one of the best portrait photographers there ever was.  
  
As I walked out of the bathroom, I heard my phone ringing from the living room and I quickly rushed to grab it, not recognizing the number as I answered the call. I lifted the device to my hear, answering the call the same way my mother always did.  
  
“Oikawa,” I stated, hearing what seemed like a sigh of relief.  
  
“ _Oikawa-san,_ ” I heard a monotone voice say, “ _This is Kozume Kenma, my fiancé and I have an appointment at one with you, but I was wondering if we could move it up to maybe eleven? I-It's okay if you can't, I'm sure Kuro can talk to you about--_ ”  
  
I glanced at the time, seeing that it was a quarter until ten and I knew that most of my equipment was in my car as I sighed, saying, “No, it's fine. You want them at the same place, down by the river, correct?”  
  
“ _Y-Yeah,_ ” he muttered, “ _Thank you, Oikawa-san._ ”  
  
I smiled softly, and said, “ You're very welcome, Kozume-san.”  
  
Our call ended with a click as I looked down at the towel that was still wrapped around my waist, my hair dripping water onto my shoulders as I sighed heavily.  
  
“Fuck.”

* * *

I clutched my steering wheel tightly as I glanced around, looking for the place that Kuroo's friend had been telling me about the other day. I had been driving by the river for at least ten minutes now and I felt kind of bad since I hadn't been in this part of town since I was younger; I should have checked out this place beforehand.  
  
My focus was so tuned to where I was going that I jumped when my phone buzzed in my pocket, alerting me of a new text. Quickly, I glanced down at it, seeing that it was from my mom before I looked up, noticing Kozume leaning against a tree, phone in his hands.  
  
I parked my car on the side of the road, watching as he didn't even glance up when I climbed out of the vehicle. Reaching into the backseat I pulled out my camera bag before walking towards the younger male, taking in his appearance.  
  
I had only met him once in college at a party with Kuroo, but he hadn't changed much. He had still kept his hair partially blond, his dark roots showing and it still shocked me every time when he finally peered at me with those cat-like, golden eyes.  
  
“Good morning, Kozume-san,” I said, greeting him as I looked around, searching for his currently unnamed fiancé. They were nowhere in sight and Kozume's eyes locked onto me and he gave me a small wave.  
  
“Shouyou had an errand to run, but he'll be here as soon as he gets the chance. Also, I'm fine with you referring to me as my given name; you hang out with Kuro enough to know it by heart.” He muttered looking back down at his phone, not raising his gaze again; at least he wasn't as antisocial as he was at the party.  
  
I nodded my head, pulling my camera from my bag before throwing the strap around my neck and walked down to the river, trying my best to ignore the slight sting running through my knee. Luckily, today was a nice day; it wasn't too hot or too cold, and the sun was shining perfectly at the right angle for the photos. Smiling, I took a couple of shots of the glimmering water, biting my lip as I heard Kozu... Kenma say something behind me.  
  
Glancing back, I saw him waving over to someone approaching us and as I was about to start back up the hill, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket once again. I pulled it from my pants, glancing down at the notifications once again and saw that it was another text from my mother. Tapping on the screen a couple of times, I sighed before opening up my messaging app to see what she had to say.  
  
Okaasan: _Tooru, I need you at the house when you get the chance._  
  
The first text made me raise an eyebrow and as I read the second, I suddenly became worried.  
  
Okaasan: _It's urgent, Tooru-chan._  
  
I knew my mother never used “-chan” after my name unless something serious was going on and slowly, I made my way back up the hill, sending her a quick reply only to see a boy approaching us. I noticed he was only a hair shorter than Kenma as he held a volleyball on his hip, bright smile on his face. His orange hair was the only thing that made him stand out from everyone else and the moment he saw me, his amber eyes wide.  
  
“Grand King?!” The boy shouted, stopping dead in his tracks.  
  
“Shrimpy-chan, of course it had to be you of all people.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is literally rare pairs; I'm not even kidding. See, typically with sports anime and me, I ship everyone with everyone. If you look at the anime tags on my tumblr, there is literally a ship that involves the main character of the swimming anime, Free!, three or four times. 
> 
> So, when I began to make my draft of this story for my school's writing contest, I ended up pairing Hinata and Kenma together for the reason that they seemed like they would end up being “cute.” In the draft this part didn't come in until much further, but I'm rewriting most of this as I go along while attempting to follow the original skeleton. 
> 
> So yes, I will admit, I typically pair Iwaizumi and Oikawa together (I'm sure you guys noticed that last chapter), but I knew that if I used that pair in this particular story, it just wouldn't work; Iwaizumi and Oikawa were childhood friends and I needed someone that Oikawa wasn't that close to use as the man of his affections. 
> 
> Kenma (and yes, he's supposed to be calling Kuroo, Kuro) didn't talk as much in the original draft either, but I wanted to use the surprise of Hinata at the end to the full extent. Besides, all of these cuties are five years older than their canon personalities; there's my excuse for them being so out of character. 
> 
> The plot for the next chapter as already been planned so I'll be working on it as quickly as possible. I'm due to get my license on Friday and after that, it's job hunting time so it may take me a while. I hoping to have the next chapter out by the fourth of July though; that's my goal. 
> 
> Also, I talk way too much in my author's notes. Sorry. 
> 
> Comment/Kudos/Subscribe/Enjoy!


	6. Past

“...ru... Tooru... Tooru!” I heard a shout and I looked up, pausing the volleyball match that I was watching before hanging my headphones around my neck. My mother's brown eyes bore into me as she had her arms crossed in front of her chest, frowning.  
  
“What?” I asked, keeping my voice monotone. Ever since my accident, I had been severely depressed. Coach Irihata had offered me a position to manage my former team, but I just couldn't; I didn't want to be on the sidelines when I should be in the game.  
  
Mother stood in her spot before she sighed, “Why don't you go out and spend time with Hajime-kun today?” I knew that she didn't want me to be sitting around for a long time like I had been doing these past few days.  
  
A frustrated sigh left my lips and I snorted, “Can't. He has practice today and then he also has to discuss something with Irihata-san afterwards.” He had taken over my duty of being captain after my injury and lately, his life had been quite busy with the Interhigh matches coming up.  
  
“Oh...” She said softly and I had taken notice that she was wearing her work clothes, bag hanging off her shoulder. As usual, she was leaving me alone and as I was about to slip my headphones back on, trying to conjure up a possible strategy to share with Iwaizumi, I heard her say, “What if I invite your oniisan and Takeru-chan over?”  
  
“Aniki has to work today and Takeru has class with his teammates and their new coach,” I muttered, taking the video off pause and listened to the squeak of tennis shoes.  
  
“Tooru-chan,” I heard her snap and I looked up at her, knowing that she meant business. My eyes met hers and she continued, “I know you're upset, but you can't mope around forever. I've been letting you stay home so that you don't strain your knee anymore than you already have, but I'm sick of watching you sit here, staring at your computer all day. Tooru, get out of the house because you can't let this injury throw you down into the mud.”  
  
I wanted to tell her that this injury wasn't just nothing. I was a fault during this, but so was that boy. He was the reason this even started and he was the reason that I was falling apart mentally. I _loved_ him and I lost my love for volleyball because of him.  
  
All I really wanted at the moment was his comfort, but I knew that, that was never going to happen; I wouldn't let him end up like me.  
  
Tears pricked my eyes and I blinked them away, feeling my mother's fingers run through my curls as I pulled my headphones down once again, eyes looking up at her. She leaned down, placing a kiss on my forehead and mumbled, “Cheer up for your okaasan, please, Tooru. If I get home early, we'll go out to eat; your choice.”  
  
I nodded my head, giving her a frail, fake smile and said, “I will. Be careful. I'll see you when you get home.”  
  
She sighed, heading out the door and I looked down at the screen, my eyes still burning.  
  
I didn't even notice the tears until I broke down and cried.

* * *

Not long after that, I was invited to join the school's yearbook staff; apparently, my friends felt the same as my mother as they saw me wandering around on my crutches instead of being in a club.

  
I swiveled back and forth in a chair, designing a page for the third years with one leg propped up. Due to my injury, they didn't ask much of me unless they needed a layout made; I had already been told many times that I was good at that kind of thing. I wanted to get out there though, as I was tired of just sitting around, twiddling my thumbs when I had nothing else to do.  
  
One of the girls that invited me into the club stood by a cabinet, pulling out a camera to go take a couple of photos of other club activities. I stared at it for a long moment before asking, “Haruka-chan, is there any way that you could teach me how to use one of those? I just need to get outside and breathe before I end up going insane; the doctor also said I need to try to walk around a little when I get the chance.”  
  
She smiled, nodding her head before I stood up and she handed me the camera before saying, “Put the strap around your neck please, Oikawa-san. If you happen to lose your grip, we don't want it to end up breaking.”  
  
I followed her instructions as we began to head out of the classroom, walking down the hall. Both of my hands held the camera, one on the side and one under the lens as I followed Haruka's instructions carefully with each stop.  
  
Before long, she was showing me how to take clear shots, make sure that the subject wasn't exactly in the center, and how to adjust the lighting if need be. Though my pictures weren't one hundred percent perfect, they still turned out decent enough to be considered for our publication.  
  
A genuine smile crossed my lips as we walked back to the clubroom and I talked to her about how I'd like to take more photographs in the future.  
  
“Have you thought about doing photos for any of our sports teams? I know that you're close with volleyball, but would you be interested in doing that kind of thing for us?” She asked, a somewhat bright look in her blue eyes.  
  
This was a chance to reconnect with my team, this was a chance to be on the court without being in the game. Did I want to do this though? If they needed a sports photographer, I could help, but would it depress me even further?  
  
I frowned, looking down at her before muttering, “I can't do all of the photos, but I can cover my team during their upcoming matches and potentially nationals... I-I just don't want to lose my team.” My eyes found the floor as I felt her staring at me.  
  
“That's fine,” she said softly, “I'll let out adviser know, Oikawa-san.”  
  
A small smile lifted my lips as I thanked her, leaning on my crutch for a moment. My knee was starting to hurt, but I never wanted to admit it out loud. Haruka studied me carefully before I sighed, “I'll catch up in a moment; I just need to sit down.”  
  
She stood there for a long moment as I leaned on a windowsill before she walked away. I picked up the camera scrolling through the photos that I had took before staring at them closely in admiration.  
  
Maybe this was my new volleyball.

* * *

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” I asked Iwaizumi as I lifted a piece of sushi up to my lips, biting into it.  
  
The other male stared at me for a moment and I could see the stress in his eyes. He had working his team nonstop these past few weeks to the point that I never saw him. Truthfully, I was lucky to even be having dinner with him this evening; we were spending the night at his house so we could get up early and go to the tournament.  
  
He was silent for a long moment, taking small bites of his food before he said, “Karasuno is going to be there tomorrow, you know that, right?”  
  
“Yeah, I know, Iwa-chan,” I said quietly. I was slightly offended by the way he suddenly brought the topic up as if I couldn't take care of myself. “You act as if I won't accept the fact that Tobio-chan will be there.”  
  
“I wanted to make sure that you knew. I don't want you to go out there and end up upset because of a stupid first-year like you did in junior high, Shittykawa. I know that it's hard for you to even be attending tomorrow's match with not being able to play. You always said that we'd end up on the national stage together anyways,” he muttered, taking a sip of his drink. His eyes trailed over me and I sighed, wiping my mouth when he kicked my shin, causing me to slightly choke.  
  
“Mean, Iwa-chan!” I shouted when I caught my breath and he smirked.  
  
As we finished up dinner, my childhood friend insisted on paying the bill before we walked home; I couldn't help but notice his mood perk up slightly; maybe he really did miss hanging out with me.  
  
“I'm sure you're finally glad to be off of those crutches,” he said softly, watching my pace so that he could stay in step with me and my limp. It wasn't a far distance from the restaurant to his house, but it was just enough to bring out a slight twinge of pain.  
  
“I hated them. It's always a pain on two, then it was just a nuisance on one, but now it's so much better. I wish I could walk like a normal person though,” I sighed, glancing down at the black, mechanical-looking brace on my knee.  
  
His gaze joined mine as he muttered, “Of all the geniuses ever to play volleyball, it just had to be you.”  
  
I furrowed my eyebrows and questioned, not understanding his statement, “What, Iwa-chan?”  
  
His face burned red before he snapped, “Nothing. Shut up, Trashykawa,” forcing the rest of our conversation to be subdued into silence as we made our way home.

* * *

I sat up in the stands, setting up my tripod and questioning if I really needed to have it out. In the very few times I had used the stand, I didn't enjoy it; I liked to have the camera in my hands, able to get in on the action. Due to my past with the team, and the possibility of injuring myself though, I wasn't allowed to take photos on the gym's floor.  
  
“Always focused on the task at hand,” Someone said and I turned around to meet Coach Irihata, a small smile on his face.  
  
I sent him back a quick grin as I said, “I had to find something to preoccupy myself. It's weird not being down there with them.” My eyes trailed over my former teammates as they came out onto the court to practice for their first game. Iwaizumi's gaze caught mine for a moment before he pulled the team together to say something.  
  
“I wish your injury never happened, Oikawa. You were a brilliant player, but your new club adviser has shown me some of your photographs and I have to say that this kind of thing is your new calling,” he said and I blushed furiously.  
  
“Th-Thank you. I'm flattered that you would say something is great even though I literally just took up the hobby,” I stuttered and he pat me on the shoulder.  
  
“I'm glad you could come. Half of the time, you're the only reason why Iwaizumi can keep his composure, and I thank you for that. I have a feeling that he's going to need it today.” With those last few words, the coach wandered off to join my team and I found myself watching the gym floor intensely, lifting the camera and turning it on before snapping a quick picture.

* * *

The first team didn't even have the slightest of chances. Though they put up a weak fight they lost both sets to us, barely even making enough points to be considered “halfway there.”  
  
I walked down the hall, in search of a restroom when I saw a familiar kid whistling as he was walking out. He glanced around the corridor before his eyes landed on me, looking like a deer in the headlights. The younger male froze for a moment before shouting, “I-It's the Grand King!”  
  
I smirked, walking towards the boy saying, “You know, Chibi-chan, it took me a while to figure out what you meant by that nickname, but it finally came to me when I was laid up in bed, refusing to even leave to go to school. I may have been a king when we first met, but you watched my throne crumble on that same day.” His nose scrunched up as I made a joke about his size and he crossed his arms in front of his chest.  
  
“I don't even get close to understanding why Kageyama looked up to you. Even though your throne doesn't exist anymore, you're still pompous. Just so you know, Oikawa-san, your team doesn't even stand a chance against Karasuno,” he boasted, the expression in his eyes suddenly morphing into something dark.  
  
There was determination in his amber orbs and I couldn't help but scoff, “I highly doubt that--”  
  
“Dumbass! Get over here! Daichi-san is looking for you!” A voice shouted and the younger male snapped out of it as he yelled back, “I'm on my way, Bakageyama!”  
  
Looking back, I met Tobio's blue eyes staring at me as the shrimp rushed towards him, attempting to continue their bickering. Tobio ignored him, and it took almost everything in me to walk away, completely forgetting my original intention of coming out here, while I drug my right leg behind me.  
  
My hand clutched the front of my shirt, right above my heart, as I knew that today was going to be longer than it already was.

* * *

 _23 – 25_  
  
The two numbers stood out to me as they were on the scoreboard. I thought that this match was going to be easy, that we would wash Karasuno away like the first team, but no. The crows had put up a fight and there was a chance that they would surpass us.  
  
I clutched the camera tightly in my hands as I had taken a photo of the scoreboard a moment ago before looking down at my team through the viewfinder. Iwaizumi stared at me as I pulled the camera away, noticing him give me a small thumbs-up. Quickly I gave him one back, faking a smile that I knew he could see right through.  
  
I couldn't help, but allow my eyes to wander over to the other team, watching them all crowd around each other. Shrimpy-chan was talking closely with Kageyama and I had already noticed their amazing quick that completely baffled me. From what I had heard from Kindaichi, Kageyama couldn't work with anymore, but this proved otherwise.  
  
“You're watching them rather closely, aren't you?” A girl's voice said from beside me, snapping me out of my trance before I met blue eyes.  
  
“Haruka-chan!” I said smiling brightly as I looked over at her, “What are you doing here? I thought you had an exam today and wouldn't be able to make it?”  
  
“The teacher ended up moving it and our adviser said that you may have needed a hand. You seem to have everything together on your own though,” she said, glancing down at the camera in my hands.  
  
I held it a little bit tighter and chuckled dryly, “I like to believe that I do. I'm here to cheer them on though since I've been benched for life.”  
  
She nodded her head before we heard the tweet of a whistle, a signal that the final set was about to begin. I saw my team take their places and caught Iwaizumi's eyes once again before I nodded my head, it was a gesture that said he wanted to see me immediately after the game.  
  
“Oikawa-san,” Haruka said, glancing up at me and I hummed in response, watching the first serve of the game. My focus was locked on the match when I heard her say, “Why does that setter from the other team keep watching you?”  
  
My eyes found their way to Tobio as he sent the ball to their lanky ace, Shrimpy-chan playing decoy as per usual. As they earned another point, I caught Tobio's eyes looking up at me, his gaze dropping slightly as if he was glancing at the brace that was covering my knee.  
  
“Let's just say we have a past; an interesting one at that,” I muttered, listening to my camera shutter as I took another photo before gripping the railing tightly. I unconsciously shifted my weight to my left side as I thought about the younger male, trying to keep my heart from fluttering away.  
  
Had he always looked over at me that much before? Had I held his attention always after he set the ball? Was it because of what I had taught him or something else?  
  
“Well, it must have been something important to both of you,” she said softly before allowing me to numbly stare at the game, lost entirely in my thoughts.

* * *

My team crushed Karasuno as they fought neck in neck, ending up eight points over the usual winning score. I saw the crows drop to their knees, Shrimpy-chan and Tobio looking the most horrified all because they couldn't save a ball.  
  
Haruka stood by me, cheering as I quickly tired to pick up my gear. She looked confused on to where I was going before I said, “I'm riding home with Iwa-chan and the others; they're leaving pretty quickly. Will you be back here tomorrow for when we play Shriratorizawa?”  
  
She shook her head, sighing, “I won't be able to, but I'll be cheering them on in spirit.”  
  
When I finished packing up, I rushed out to the corridor, bags in hand as I saw my childhood friend leaning against the wall, waiting on me. Slowly, losing teams were walking past us, going home with depressed looks on their faces. I happened to glance over at them before sighing to the older male, “Congrats, Iwa-chan. You've won your first two matches as captain.” I gave him a bright smile before he rolled his eyes.  
  
The two of us began to head out of the building before Iwaizumi quickly pulled me down an empty hall, hidden from other people as I stared at him in confusion.  
  
“Iwa-chan, I--”  
  
His lips sealed over mine as he pushed me against the wall, feeling his grip tighten around me, and a soft moan left my lips. His fingers wrapped up in my hair and I pushed up against him, breaking away for a moment. I stared up at him, my words breathless, “Isn't it a little too early to be celebrating just yet?”  
  
As soon as I spoke, I heard the squeak of sneakers, a flash of black and orange leaving my peripheral vision. I pushed Iwaizumi away, leaving my bags just where I had dropped them on the floor as I ran after the boy.  
  
Tobio saw us. He must have came after me, but saw Iwaizumi and I kissing an... No... He couldn't think that we were together and I wasn't going to let him – the exact same thought that I had, had over so many other things pertaining to him.  
  
My limp caught the best of me as I saw the murder of crows leaving the building and I tripped, hitting the floor. People looked at me, none offering to help as tears ran down my cheeks and I cried out, “K-Kageyama!”  
  
He stood with his team as though he had never went after me, head hung low and shoulders shaking. I wanted to reach out for him as I knew that he too was shedding tears; tears that I knew had nothing to do with the loss of his match.  
  
Shrimpy-chan has his arm wrapped around the taller player before his amber eyes turned around, staring at me with a compiled look of envy, jealousy, and rage. He looked as if he wanted to take my head off and then I knew that his heart also longed for Tobio.  
  
I laid there until Iwaizumi picked me up, trying to wipe away my tears even though he only made them worse.  
  
Why had I never thought that this was another consequence of loving the younger male? I never thought that I'd be the reason for tears in those blue eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haruka isn't a real character in the canon story, but I just really like the name and I needed to make a female character for this story. So yes, for those of you who didn't understand the photographer bit before, this is how it all came to be. 
> 
> And yes, I said last chapter that I wasn't going to do anymore IwaOi, but hey, it happened in this chapter very faintly due to the fact that the ending came to me on a whim because I wanted to lead up to the next "Past" chapter. 
> 
> In the original framework for the story, I wasn't going to do the Interhigh (I've been referring to it as regionals) match; I was going to skip straight to the Spring High. I changed my mind though when I realized that I needed to draw a line to show when Oikawa realized that Kageyama may or may not have an interest in him; if it happened in the Spring High chapter, it would be too late. 
> 
> So yes, there's not really much to this chapter compared to the others besides what's happening. I have a couple of things rolled up my sleeve for the next few chapters, so be prepared for those coming soon. 
> 
> Comment/Subscribe/Kudos/Enjoy!


	7. Present

“Turn a little more to the left please,” I said, gesturing to Kenma, looking through the viewfinder and snapping a few shots. The blond male smiled slightly as Shrimpy-chan contrasted with his huge grin. They held onto each other tightly and I smiled as I saw the ginger's ring glint brightly in the sunlight.  
  
“Can I see that one, Oikawa-san?” Shrimpy-chan yelled, breaking away from the other male as he rushed over to me. He asked to see almost every picture and didn't mind for a second to show him; I loved seeing the enthusiasm on his face.  
  
I glanced up at Kenma, noticing him twist his fingers together as I showed the ginger the photos. Almost instantly, I heard the youngest male make a noise of excitement and I instantly glanced back at him. His eyes were wide as he said, “Oikawa-san, you're as good at this as you were volleyball!”  
  
A soft smile found my lips as I thanked him on instinct before he wandered back towards his fiancé and I attempted to strike up a conversation with him, “What have you been doing since high school? I know the last time I ran into anyone from Karasuno was a couple of years ago when I saw Sugawara-san in the city.”  
  
Shrimpy-chan glanced away as we moved closer to the river before Kenma spoke up, “Personally, I went to college a little closer to Miyagi and that's where I ran into Shouyou. I've been working in part with a gaming company to help with developing a new product; that's the reason we're so close to Tokyo for the time being.”  
  
The ginger took a seat near the water, running his fingers through it as I was trying to decide what pose would be best next before he mumbled, “After graduating, I started the same college as Kenma and I've been playing volleyball off and on, but it hasn't been the same without Kageyama; he went straight for the national team, he was that good. I haven't seen much of him since then, but we still talk every now and again.”  
  
“I forgot to tell you,” Kenma spoke up and the younger male looked around, “He texted me last night saying that you weren't responding to your phone. He said that he's in Tokyo for the next week or so, and he wanted to see if you wanted to get together.”  
  
I was frozen as Shrimpy-chan smiled brightly, yelling, “Really? I'm sure Bakageyama was texting the wrong number again, but I'd love to do that!”  
  
Kageyama was in Tokyo? Was he near me or was he far away? I knew my chances of running into him were next to none with the amount of people in the city, but just the thought of it had my heart racing. He couldn't be too far off if the two of them were talking about him.  
  
I bit my lip recklessly like I do when I'm nervous and tried to ignore the faintest hint of a coppery taste in my mouth. Kenma's eyes wandered over to me in a “knowing” sort of way and I had a feeling that someone was using him to test me.  
  
I clapped my hands together, forcing and smile as I said, “How about we go on ahead and finish up this session.” If they weren't able to see how antsy I suddenly was, I would have said that they had lost their minds. 

* * *

My laptop sat on the kitchen table as I scrolled through pictures from an old session. After two months, a couple was finally reaching back out to me to order and I had to take the time to find the particular photos that they wanted. As I was searching through the mess, a cup of coffee was placed in front of me and I looked up when my mother said, “It would be nice if you could come over for once without your work in front of you, Tooru.”  
  
Oh the irony...  
  
“I just need to find these pictures and I'll put it away. I promise,” I said, taking a sip out of the mug, finally spotting what I was looking for.  
  
Quickly, I moved the files to where I could find them easily later before closing the lid of the device, slipping it back in its case, moving my attention to my mother. I ignored the vibration of my phone in my pocket as her brown eyes bore into me.  
  
“You know, I told you to come over here for a reason, Tooru,” she said softly, folding her hands in front of her on the table.  
  
I reached for my coffee again, swallowing it as a lump formed in my throat and I nodded my head, “Yeah, I had a feeling that something was wrong because of your texts. You said it was urgent anyways.” My gaze lost hers as I began to fear what exactly she wanted.  
  
“I talked to your oniisan a couple of days ago and he said that the last time the two of you saw each other, you blew him off _after_ you showed up drunk. He said that this wasn't the first time you've done something like that either. Hajime-kun also called me this morning, telling me a faintly similar story. Tooru, who in the right mind calls their best friend at three in the morning just to “return their call”? Besides, what don't you even carry your cell phone when you're at the bar?” She nagged, worry setting into her features as I slowly grew annoyed.  
  
“What do you suggest then? I've been living on my own for almost four years now and I'm perfectly fine!” I snapped, my voice raised as she frowned. I didn't drive all the way to Miyagi to be lectured about my life choices, poor or not.  
  
“We're only worried about you, especially me, your okaasan,” she said, raising her hands to her chest, “I think it would be best if you saw a therapist, someone who could help you. You've never been the same since you were put out of volleyball.”  
  
“That sport was my **entire** life!” I shouted and she flinched slightly, “I couldn't just jump back after being forced to watch my team continue on, while I was stuck on a pair of crutches, living with an almost permanent limp that pulls me back. When Iwa-chan and I went to watch the national tournament, I was reminded every time I saw _that boy's_ face!”  
  
She stared at me with wide eyes as I realized I almost mentioned Kageyama's name, breathing heavily. My mother opened her mouth as she said, “Who, Tooru-chan?”  
  
I never told my mother that I had fallen in love. I never talked about my distress whenever I thought about blue eyes. I was never questioned when I watched Karasuno's matches carefully to see Kageyama play with Shrimpy-chan and the others.  
  
“Mama,” I said, calling my mother the name I referred to her as a child, “do you remember what you told me when I was little about love?”  
  
She looked horrified as she covered her mouth with her hands. My phone vibrated once again in my pocket as she said, “You think you lost volleyball because--”  
  
I bit my lip and looked away as my heart thrummed in my chest, “Forget about it. It doesn't matter anyways; the past is in the past and he's gone off to do much better things.”  
  
I stood up, grabbing my bag as she tried to stop me, “No. Tooru, tell me. Tell me about this boy.”  
  
“I think I'll just head home,” I said softly, trying to walk away.  
  
“Tooru!” She yelled as I tried my best to ignore her, almost making it to the front door when she grabbed my arm, “D-Don't. Don't listen to what I said back then. I was angry at your father for leaving me with you and your oniisan and I just...”  
  
Tears were in her brown eyes as I sighed, “I've lived by those words my whole live and I'm sorry, but I just can't stop it now.”  
  
“But--”  
  
“Okaasan, I'm sorry. I have work to take care of, but I'll come back up here to see you and Aniki soon. I love you,” I faked a smile that I knew she saw right through before walking off to my car as she stood in the doorway of my childhood home, covering her face. I hated to upset her, but her words had ruled my entire life.  
  
It was hard to pull out of the driveway and leave her in that state, but I didn't want to go into the subject any further than I already had. As I was making my way down the road I checked my phone, seeing that I had two texts from Kuroo.  
  
Black Cat: _What's up, asshole? :))_  
  
Black Cat: _Aw, don't tell me that you're gonna ignore me ;~; I'm srry for calling u names._  
  
Rolling my eyes, I called the black haired male, turning the phone on speaker before dropping it on the dashboard.  
  
“ _Finally, he answers!_ ” Kuroo yelled as I sighed, trying to focus on the road in front of me when he asked, “ _Where are you at right now?_ ”  
  
“Leaving Miyagi; Okaasan wanted to see me and no, I don't want to talk about it before you ask,” I muttered as someone pulled out in front of me, blowing the horn.  
  
I heard Kuroo chuckle, “ _Well, whenever you get back home, we're hanging out at the usual bar. If you wanna come, we'll probably be here all night._ ”  
  
“Who is “we”?” I asked and I heard him open his mouth before I muttered, “Never mind. I don't need to know. I should be there by at least 11:30 so save me a spot.”  
  
“ _Awesome. I will, so be careful driving home,_ ” he said.  
  
“Yeah,” I sighed, ending the call.  
  
I knew right now that I just really needed a drink to forget what my mother told me. I just couldn't believe that I had been living by false rules all my life, rules that had been holding me back from so many things.  
  
I had a feeling though, that, that wasn't just something that I was going to be able to easily forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kind of all over the place, but this isn't the first time that, that kind of thing has happened to me. The next past chapter is going to be interesting to say the very least; I feel like I'm going to enjoy writing that one a little bit more than I have the others, but I'm also looking forward to writing the end. 
> 
> Also, Kuroo is that friend that always uses emojis in their text messages; we all know of that one friend that does that and to be truthful, I don't think I've ever had a character who does that... He's going to be a fun character to use though and I've been looking forward to adding him to the story. 
> 
> Any guesses on who “we” is? 
> 
> Comment/Kudos/Subscribe/Enjoy!


	8. Past

“Two weeks until Spring High, huh?” I said, stretching my arms before resting them behind my head. Iwaizumi grunted in agreement, his attention currently locked on the cube-shaped puzzle in front of him; his boyfriend had given it to him for their one month anniversary and he had yet to solve it.  
  
“Are you coming to watch me play?” He muttered, only completing one side, the rest still mismatched. He looked frustrated before slipping the game into his bag as I chuckled.  
  
“Of course, as long as I possibly get the chance to talk with my best friend's other half, then I'll be fine!” I said cheerfully, watching as he rolled his eyes.  
  
A smirk slid onto my lips as he said, “Please don't torture Hikashi as you somehow always seem to do. Besides, I wanted to make sure after what happened last time...” His face grew red and I looked away.  
  
“I wouldn't miss one of my team's matches because of someone who has **nothing** to do with them,” I said, my tone on the border of being deathly calm and snapping.  
  
After Interhigh, I was upset with Iwaizumi for a few weeks. I was not only angry with him, but I also hated myself for being manipulated so easily. Even though we were off to the side, where we thought no one would be, Kageyama still managed to find us. While I was on my own, Iwaizumi was confessed to by a boy a year younger than us; keeping me in mind, the two of them started dating because it was truthfully for the best.  
  
The older male was quiet for a few minutes before saying, “I'm amazed that you're not booked for another shoot that day. You know, I've heard girls fawning over how great you are with a camera.”  
  
I rolled my eyes and sighed, “I couldn't mope around forever, you know. I had to do something.” I hoisted my camera bag higher up on my shoulder without realizing it, Iwaizumi watching carefully.  
  
As we approached my house, I pulled my keys out of my pocket, unlocking the door as he followed close behind. I sat my bags down on the couch, sighing before flopping down, and glanced up at the older male as I patted the seat beside me.  
  
After he took a seat, I lifted my pant's leg, and adjusted the thin white brace on my right knee before he muttered, “Can I look over the photos you took today?”  
  
A smile spread across my lips as I pulled my expensive camera out of my bag. I had recently dipped into my savings to buy one of my own instead of borrowing the school's and since then, if Iwaizumi and I spent the afternoon together, I always allowed him to look over the photographs and critique them.  
  
He flipped through the photos, muttering something about how many pictures that I had took of the night sky before he found one that caused him to become very quiet. I watched as his finger hovered over the delete button, face turning scarlet in what I couldn't decide was fury or embarrassment. A smirk spread across my lips before he seethed, “When did you even take this?”  
  
On the display was an image of Iwaizumi and his boyfriend, Hikashi, lost in a kiss. My childhood friend held the younger male tightly, arms wrapped around his waist with Hika-chan's fingers laced in his spiky hair.  
  
“I saw an opportunity and took it. You have to admit that it's a lovely photograph,” I crossed my arms in front of my chest, proud.  
  
“I'm going to get rid of it,” he said, almost pressing the button before I tried to gently smack his hand away, yelling, “I put a lot of thought into my pictures!”  
  
He just stared at me, pushing delete without another word.  
  
“Mean, Iwa-chan!”

* * *

I stood on the balcony above the gym floor, watching as Iwaizumi commanded the team's practice. My eyes darted over my former teammates as they played a game against one another before someone in a black jacket approached me.

  
“Aren't you a little out of your territory, Refreshing-kun? Last time I checked, Karasuno isn't just a block away from here,” I muttered, voice cocky as I didn't even move my gaze towards him. I had seen his face more than once and I knew that he had formerly played as the main setter for Karasuno before Kageyama came along.  
  
His chocolate brown eyes bore into me as I saw him chew at his lip before muttering, “I just came to watch Seijou play. We don't have plans to lose a Spring High and our captain just wasn't able to make it today. Besides, I was hoping to see the man who broke our setter.”  
  
I whipped my head over to finally rest my gaze on him as I saw that his eyes were dark. He wasn't looking over at me, but I knew that if looks could kill, I'd be dead right now. His grip was tight on the black rail as he barely spoke, “He and Hinata got into a fight because they both thought that they weren't good enough and they refused to work together. Kageyama blamed most of it on the Interhigh match with your school, but I had never forgot the way he cried after that losing fight. It was so bad that he refused to eat with us afterwards, even though we were all in tears.”  
  
The gray-haired male seemed distant before he continued, “He wanted to approach you, his former senpai, and ask how you were so much of a genius at setting, but from the look on your face, he must have never showed up. He and Hinata have reconciled since then though, and I must say, their quick is so much more calculated than before. That's my story to why I'm out here.”  
  
“What makes you think that I'm the one who _broke_ him, Refreshing-kun?” My eyes shifted back to the game as my mind slightly raced. Kageyama was going to come see me, but he backed out because...  
  
“If there's one thing I'm good at Oikawa-san, it's being able to pick up on what's on my teammates' minds. When I was standing on the sidelines during Interhigh, I caught him looking up at you more than once; the same happened when he was subbed out and told to watch how I played. On top of that, it wasn't just a simple look; you couldn't miss the emotions running through his eyes for miles.” The male said as I scratched the back of my head.  
  
“Hah, I have no idea what you're talking about,” I bluffed before feeling his eyes rest on me.  
  
He sighed softly, leaning further against the bar before he muttered, “You can deny it all you want, but this entire time, I've seen the exact same look in your eyes since the moment I mentioned his name.”  
  
I tried to hide my thoughts as I scoffed, “I think you need to get your eyes checked, Sugawara-san. I don't care about a single hair on my former kouhai's head; he's a damn good player, I'll give him that, but nothing else matters.” I knew the male could sense my agitation when I spat out his actual name.  
  
He hummed softly in disbelief as I saw practice finishing up on the gym below. Iwaizumi's eyes met mine, slowly trailing towards the male next to me before I said, “Well, it was nice seeing you, Refreshing-kun, but I must be off. Give your other teammates my warmest wishes and good luck at Spring High. Be prepared to have your asses handed to you while you're there.”  
  
I gave him a small wave, before walking away, my skin crawling as I could feel his gaze on me until I was out of sight.

* * *

  
“Hika-chan,” I smiled as I approached Iwaizumi's other half. As always, I rode with the volleyball team over to the tournament rather than taking the bus with the rest of my schoolmates. The younger male gave me a slight wave, eyes trained to the empty court below.  
  
“Who are we playing today?” The younger male asked as I fiddled with my camera, “Date Tech and after we win, hopefully, Karasuno.”  
  
My eyes locked on Iwa-chan as he was the first to step out onto the court, head held high. The team followed closely behind him, preparing to warm up as he knew that we were going to have to put up a fight to win against the “Iron Wall.” His eyes looked up at his boyfriend before I waved with enthusiasm. He looked away, annoyed as a smile spread across my lips. Over the years, I had noticed that the more riled up he was, the better he was at spiking; that was something I had learned almost from the start.  
  
“You seem to be putting a lot of confidence into your words, Oikawa-san,” Hikashi said, eyes not leaving the spiky-haired male.  
  
“Of course! I was once their captain after all! Besides, I've known Iwa-chan my whole life and I know he's been taking care of my team.” I hummed, flicking on the power switch to my camera, checking to see how many more photos my card could hold.  
  
Hikashi was silent for a few moments before looking over and smiling, “I trust your word then, Oikawa-san.”  
  
I chuckled softly and said, “I hope so, Hika-chan.”

* * *

  
“Go, Iwaizumi-san!” Hikashi yelled, a blush dusting his cheeks. The entire game he had been cheering for the older male, trying his best to hide the affection in his brown eyes. None of our peers knew of his and Iwaizumi's relationship and I knew that the two preferred to keep it that way.  
  
Right now, we were playing our third set against Karasuno after they had put up quite a fight during the first match; our team had pulled through during the second match after we had put in our “secret weapon.”  
  
It was my recommendation to Iwaizumi that we brought the second year, even though he was never much of a “team player”; he was cocky and reckless, but he knew how to fight if you pointed him in the right direction. I knew he'd work well with my childhood friend anyways as I knew the younger male saw him as his senpai.  
  
My eyes locked on the scoreboard as my palms were sweaty. Karasuno was ahead of us in the battle and they were almost a few points away from winning the game. We followed closely behind by one point, continuously neck-in-neck with the other team.  
  
Slowly, I glanced over at the fighting teams, eyes locking on the ball that was being jostled back and forth. Refreshing-kun had been brought in before our scores lined up with each other and it was interesting watching the two setters on their side of the court. Another feature to their team was Shrimpy-chan's speed; it never ceased to amaze me.  
  
Refreshing-kun saved the ball as I noticed how they wouldn't be able to fall through with their previous play before Kageyama set the ball, my team preparing to block it. I watched the blue-eyed male carefully, his fingers almost touching the ball before he faked sending it over to one of the spikers. Fury raced in Iwaizumi's eyes as he attempted to keep it from hitting the ground, but failed.  
  
Karasuno cheered loudly, meeting their match point as I could feel the tension coming from my team below. My childhood friend met my eyes and I gave him a thumbs-up before he tore his gaze away. I knew he was frustrated; the opposing team had grown so much since Interhigh and slowly, it was showing that there was almost no chance that we were going to win.  
  
Hikashi looked as if he had been holding his breath before I said, “It's been a long time since I've seen that kind of anger in his eyes.” I scanned the court below, noticing that Karasuno had taken a time out, Iwaizumi's agitation coming to a boil.  
  
I chuckled softly to myself as the younger male asked, “Should I ask when that was?”  
  
I looked over at the other team, catching Kageyama's eyes as he took a drink of water, throwing his head to the side twice as if he wanted to speak to me in private. Faintly, I nodded, knowing that he meant after the game before my attention turned back to Hikashi as I muttered, “That's a story for another time.”  
  
The ball went up again as the time-out ended and I pulled out my camera, flipping it on and holding it up, “It's either we make it or break it right now.”  
  
Team from team, the object moved between hands as my heart stopped, the room almost at a standstill as I saw the ball fly past Iwaizumi's hands when he tried to stop Shrimpy-chan's spike.  
  
My third year, I planned on leading my team to nationals, but it fell through when I ruined my knee. Here I had to stand though, watching my best friend's last chance to step onto that big stage fade to nothing as my ears rang with the sound of the ball hitting the floor, the murder of crows cheering loudly.  
  
I watched as he stiffly shook Daichi-san's hand before turning away, walking towards Coach Irihata. I knew the coach had very few words to say to them as tears rolled down my teammates' cheeks and Hikashi clutched a fist over his chest before I knew he was rushing down to console his boyfriend. I, on the other hand, packed up my bag and began to look for a flurry of black and orange as I exited the stands.  
  
It didn't take me long to find Kageyama standing next to a set of water fountains, lips pulled in a tight line. His arms were crossed in front of his chest as he didn't even greet me when he said, “I wish I could have played this game against you, Oikawa-san.”  
  
I couldn't help, but roll my eyes as my cocky smile kicked in when I said, “I suppose a game against senpai and kouhai would have been nice, but it's my fault I didn't take care of my injury. I'm amazed you even want to speak to me after what happened at...”  
  
Blue eyes burned holes into me as he said, “There's actually something I've been wanting to talk to you about... something about you that's been bothering me and--”  
  
“Kageyama, we won, we won, we won!” A flash of orange ran towards us and I was shocked as I saw Shrimpy-chan's lips lock with the taller male's.  
  
“Hinata, I--” Kageyama reprimanded, voice stopping when I took a step back, Shrimpy-chan's eyes darkening when he looked at me, clutching the hand of the boy who held my affections. I had saw a certain look in his eyes when he ran up to Kageyama, a look that I had saw in Iwaizumi's eyes more than once when we fooled around  
  
Kageyama opened his mouth to say something, but I fumbled out my words first, “I-I need to get going... We have to go back to school, because, you know, the tournament is done for us sadly.” They forced their way out of my throat as I tried to play it off and a certain expression crossed his face before fear struck my heart and I knew that I needed to get away from him.  
  
Quickly, I began to walk away, shouting, “Congrats, Tobio-chan; you and your team deserved it!”  
  
I didn't even realize that I was crying until I ran straight into Hikashi, heading out to the bus. His eyes were red, but he didn't say a word before pulling me close, not even asking the reason for my tears, only just telling me that everything was going to be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amount of this story that I had to edit, to keep Oikawa out of the canon chapters of Spring High was unreal. I'm not even kidding how many times I rewrote this chapter in my head and when I finally started putting it to paper, I had to constantly stop because one, I was at a loss for words, and two, I was searching for a job, so when I came across a good idea, it would fizzle out and die most of the time; some of them came back to the surface though and those are the ones that you see. 
> 
> Let me quickly say, the one part where Suga and Oikawa talk in general was kind of inspired by me reading too many SugaOi fanfics lately, but I just really wanted to have a moment including Suga due to the fact that I mentioned him last chapter. 
> 
> Like Haruka in the last “Past” chapter, Hikashi is also a non-canon character, but this one is actually an OC I formed a few days ago in order to “de-stress” from all the job searching. He a cutie in my mind, but sadly I have no artistic ability to draw him out; my OCs always end up shipped with someone random in my fanfics...
> 
> Also, this is actually one of the first chapters that has a piece of dialogue that was in the original story! As I may have mentioned, Picturesque was originally meant to be a one-shot for a contest, but I scrapped it when I was unable to meet the requirements for the max amount of words. The entirety of Kageyama's dialogue in this chapter was in the actual story which makes me pretty happy to mention. 
> 
> Next chapter shall be another “Present” chapter and you guys will get the answer to the mysterious “we” that I posed last chapter; I'm that chapter will be a little longer than usual, but it all depends on how much time I take to write it. 
> 
> Comment/Subscribe/Kudos/Enjoy! 
> 
> MistressPhantomhive
> 
> (Oikawa takes pictures of the night sky because he's always looking for aliens. Lel.)


	9. Present

Walking towards the bar my friends were currently hanging out at, I pushed my glasses further up my nose. After leaving Okaasan's house, I came home and ate something small before changing. I had picked my actual glasses over my contacts for no reason, but I was beginning to regret it.  
  
“Oikawa!” Was the first thing I heard over the club's music and I glanced over, catching sight of a black-haired male with constant bedhead. At the very least, he could have waited until I had gotten my drink before drawing my attention, but I smiled anyways, walking over to him.  
  
“What kind of chaos have you been causing today, Kuroo?” I asked, glancing over at the empty booth, a stack of glasses sitting on the table. I knew that Kuroo couldn't have been the only person here, but before I could ask who it was, I heard someone shout, “Is this who you were talking about, Kuroo? Oikawa? From the way you were boasting, I thought it was actually someone import--”  
  
“Koutarou,” A quiet, almost threatening voice came from beside Bokuto before my eyes locked with his boyfriend, Akaashi. The dark-haired male nodded his head before saying, “It's nice to see you, Oikawa-san.”  
  
Bokuto's face was red as he glanced over at the man standing next to him as I covered my mouth, trying to hide my chuckles. I slid into the seat next to Kuroo, taking his drink and taking a long sip out of it. The alcohol made my throat burn and I choked slightly as I heard Kuroo chuckle, “For someone who is a borderline alcoholic, I will never get over the moment where you always make that face during the first drink.”  
  
“Shut up,” I muttered, throwing the rest of it back before placing it on the stack. I leaned against my arm as I pulled out my phone, looking at the time before Akaashi asked if I wanted another drink. I nodded my head, quickly giving him a couple of bills before watching as he wandered off to the bar.  
  
“God, he's so attractive when he's terrifying,” Bokuto sighed, watching the boy walk away before moving his gaze to me, “Do you plan on getting drunk tonight, because if so, then we're having a contest.”  
  
I raised my eyebrows, asking, “A drinking contest or something else?”  
  
“A little bit of both,” The male replied, running his fingers through his spiky hair. Kuroo chuckled behind his hand before my eyes darted between the duo.  
  
“We're already halfway there, but we'll wait for you to catch up. The contest basically is to see if you can get someone's phone number while shitfaced,” Kuroo grinned, “Of course, since we're single, we can attempted to take them home if we get that far, but the minimum is the phone number.”  
  
“And what happens to the two that lose?” I asked, looking for Akaashi as I spotted him still standing by the bar.  
  
“Losers have to do whatever the winner says,” Bokuto replied and Kuroo wiggled his eyebrows before I rolled my eyes, saying, “You're on.”  
  
“What, really?” The duo asked at the same time and I nodded my head, taking a drink from the glass Akaashi handed to me before Kuroo said, “Do you still think you have that charm? I mean, we've known each other since our freshmen year of college and the last time I saw you try to get someone into your bed was during some party a few years ago.”  
  
“Did it work?” Bokuto asked before Akaashi slapped him on the arm for being too curious before Kuroo rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
“Well, we were both drunk and...”  
  
“He bottomed,” I said, not glancing up from my drink as I could feel Kuroo's glare.  
  
“Haha! The **only straight** guy out of our group of friends took it up the ass from Oikawa of all people!” Bokuto cackled, putting his head down before slapping the table. He gasped for air, trying to catch his breath before snorting and I smirked.  
  
The mostly silent male of our group sighed, saying, “Well, it seems like Oikawa-san has an advantage over you two. If he can woo Kuroo, then he can woo anyone, drunk or not.”  
  
Bokuto and Kuroo became very silent before I finished off my drink, taking the next that was slid over to me.  
  
“Then it's a contest,” Kuroo said and I grinned.  
  
“Good luck, boys.”  
  


* * *

  
I could hear Bokuto snoring from across the table as I finished my last drink. Kuroo had wandered off to talk with a pretty blonde girl wearing glasses a little over twenty minutes ago and I knew that it was finally my time to shine.  
  
Slowly, I made my way out of the booth, looking at Akaashi before saying, “I'm gonna win.” My words were slurred an I wandered over to the dance floor, looking across the faces, trying to find a person standing on their own before my eyes locked on a boy with brown hair, his back to me.  
  
A smirk spread across my face as I lightly tapped him on the shoulder, almost taking a step back when I saw his stunning blue eyes. They threw me off track as he looked me up and down and he gave me a smile, asking, “What can I do for you, darling?”  
  
His accent was strong as he spoke and my brain finally process that he was a foreigner. I just stared at him for a long moment, trying to figure out what I was going to say before blurting out, “You're hot.”  
  
The words rolled off my tongue at their own accord as my face turned red, eyes lost in the deep blue of his orbs. He chuckled softly, throwing back the last of his drink before sitting it down on a nearby table, asking, “What's your name?”  
  
Typically, this was the point where I'd make a cocky reply about how names didn't matter, but I couldn't even think straight. Instead, I grinned like an idiot before saying, “Oikawa Tooru at your service.” I bowed slightly and I heard the man snort before saying, “Keith Nikola.”  
  
I leaned towards him, muttering, “How about I buy you a drink, Keith? Or, if you'd rather, how about we cut to the chase and head back to my place?”  
  
I winked as a shocked look filled the boy's blue eyes as he stuttered, “Uh, no thanks. I don't sleep with people heavily under the influence and I--”  
  
“Babe,” I heard a voice say as someone placed his hand on Keith's shoulder before his eyes cut over to me and snapped, “You're that photographer! What are you doing gawking at my boyfriend?”  
  
The newcomer looked furious and I got one last long look at the other male's eyes, thinking of someone who shouldn't be on my mind before turning away. I only slept with men who shared the same trait and I grit my teeth, heading out of the bar without another word. Even if I wanted to, I could never get him out of my mind.  
  
“Goddammit, just go away,” I muttered, shoving my hands in my pockets and deciding that it would be better to take the long way home to clear my head.  
  
I really needed to get my drunken self in check before I caused anymore trouble, even if it seemed like it was impossible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You would think that Oikawa's “charm” would work on anyone, but Keith's a good guy and won't sleep with people who can't consent. Besides, I don't think the charm works when you've had more drinks than you can count on your fingers; Oikawa, get yourself in check, you're twenty-three for goodness sakes.
> 
> I tried to make this chapter kind of comedic, but I feel like that didn't work so well for me. I thoughts my jokes were funny, but you guys probably have a totally different opinion. All I could think of was a drinking contest between those three idiots (I use this in a affectionate way), Kuroo being straight (though look at that girl's description closely), and Bokuto falling asleep even though he's so determined to win. 
> 
> Sadly, this is all I could come up in my three week absence, but I'm hoping that you guys will enjoy the next past chapter as we're finally going to reach the one thing I've been waiting for finally... That's a surprise though. In my plans, I only have four chapters left, but so much material left to cover. I'm hoping I don't fail you guys though because I've been working so much on this. 
> 
> On my plate I have two cowrites to update though so I have no idea when I'm going to grace your presences one again (hopefully soon) so as always, 
> 
> Comment/Subscribe/Kudos/Enjoy! 
> 
> MistressPhantomhive

**Author's Note:**

> http://mistress-phantomhive.tumblr.com/  
> http://a-fictional-reality.tumblr.com/


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